iRobot Braava Robot Mop Review 2019: Time Savers For Mom

If you’re not a big fan of cleaning floors and you hate the idea of spending the weekend sweeping and mopping, then a mopping robot should be on your list of cleaning tools. Over the past years, we’ve seen some advancement in robotic technology which resulted in a wide array of extremely efficient automated cleaning equipment. These machines have entirely revolutionized how we clean our homes.

One of these machines is the iRobot Braava 380t, which is one of the Top-5 floor mopping robots on the US market. The Braava 380t is considered to be one of the few robot mops that come remarkably close to simulating a real home mop in terms of both design and functionality. It does an excellent job of keeping your floors clean and uses disposable easy-to-replace microfiber cleaning cloths for picking up dirt, hair, dust, and different types of debris. Furthermore, it also comes with great features combined with a beautiful aesthetic.

The iRobot Corporation is well-known for producing a mean robot mop machine such as the Roomba robot vacuum cleaner. However, the Braava 380t is a robot mop delivers a performance that’s a whole different level compared to its competitors.

Product Specifications

• Dimensions: 9.6 in (W) x 8.5 in (D) x 3.1 in (H)
• Weight: 4 pounds
• Origin: USA

Notable Features At A Glance

• Northstar Navigation Cube GPS system that helps it keep track of surfaces it has already cleaned until it’s done with the entire mopping process.
• The robot mop comes with both the wet mopping and sweeping cleaning modes.
• A Turbo Charge Cradle which charges it for just two hours.
• The package includes two microfiber cleaning towels. The white towel is for dry sweeping, while the blue one is for wet mopping.
• Lightweight and since the robot mop does not have a vacuum motor, it is whisper quiet.
• Comes with iRobot’s one-year warranty.

Pros

• Accurate sweeping and mopping coverage.
• It has a compact design and practically silent.
• Long battery life with up to 150 minutes of run time for mopping mode and 210 minutes for the sweeping mode.
• Compatible with other brands of disposable and microfiber cleaning pads.
• Easy-to-use with a simple interface.

Cons

• It doesn’t come with remote control.
• No scheduling option.
• It does not go back to its dock once you’re done mopping and does not self-charge.
• No available specialized cleaning solution and tends to struggle with a huge amount of liquid.
• Cleaning availability is limited and needs a GPS cube so that it can navigate properly.

Design And Setup Of The Braava 380T

The Braava 380t comes with a unique design and two-tier shape just like with the Braava 320. Its body is made from shiny black plastic with matte black plastic on its sides.

• Control and functions. The unit has three buttons at the top for power, mop, and sweep, as well as a sensor receiver. Its sensor receiver receives the signal from the Northstar Navigation Cube so that the robot mop will remember the areas in your home that it has already cleaned.
• Cleaning. When using the device, you need to attach one of the cleaning pads that come with it to its front end. These pads are kept in place with the help of small magnets.
• Aesthetics. The Braava 380t boasts a modern and sleek look. It’s all black style is combined with blue button lights making it simple and yet appealing.

Before you can use the unit, you have to charge it first. Place it on its charging dock on an upright position, plug it in, and then wait for the Power button to show a solid blue light. The Braava 380t takes at least four hours to charge fully using the regular charging port. If you have extra budget, you can purchase the Turbo Charge Cradle which lets you charge the robot fully for only two hours.

Once it’s charged to its full capacity, attach the appropriate microfiber cloth and cleaning pad for cleaning. The unit comes with the following machine-washable cloths can be used numerous times. :

• 1 pc. multi-purpose cleaning pad
• 1 pc. reservoir mopping pad
• 1 pc. sweeping microfiber cloth
• 1 pc. mopping microfiber cloth

The microfiber pad for mopping has a little built-in water reservoir that you need to fill up before using it. Before attaching the mopping cloth onto the pad through the Velcro attachments at its back, you have to dampen it first. On the other hand, the sweeping pad comes with a set of teeth-like grip for holding the dry microfiber cloth securely in place. The pads are easy to attach and secured in position by magnets. Keep in mind though that the pads and the mopping and sweeping cloths cannot be utilized interchangeably.

When you’ve set up everything and ready to start cleaning, you also have to turn the Northstar navigation system on. A blue light will appear once it is on. Place it on a table or countertop ensuring that it has a clear view of your ceiling, and make sure that the flashing blue light is directed towards the room’s center.

You have an option to use extra navigation cubes to help guide the Braava 380t from the different rooms in your home. However, it will cost you around $40 and offers a rather acceptable battery life. If you have a small house or apartment, having just one is enough to have the ultimate relaxing cleaning experience.

Performance

The Braava 380t robot mop comes with dry and wet cleaning modes. Although these cleaning methods are not that different from each other, both offer features and benefits that make each of them its own.

• Dry mode. The dry or sweeping mode is where the unit basically goes around your home to sweep its floors. You don’t any water or cleaning solution to operate this mode. Once you set the Braava 380t on the sweeping mode, it will start making passes back and forth across every room it’s set to clean. To create an effective cleaning pattern, you have to use the Navigation Cube.
• Wet mode. The wet or mopping mode also utilizes the Northstar navigation system. The device cleans differently in this mode. Instead of single, long passes across rooms, it will make several passes across the same area of a room to ensure that all dirt and grime are lifted from your floor before moving on to a different area. Fill the reservoir with water to keep it damp at all times.

The cleaning ability of the Braava 380t is quite impressive. It can clean almost all floor types and track the most efficient paths while doing so. It also creates a very low sound while performing its task. However one of its drawbacks is that there’s still some unavoidable work involved on your part when using and removing the cleaning pads and cloths. But you can do this every couple of hours while the robot mop is recharging.

Conclusion

The iRobot Braava 380t is a highly convenient way to clean your floors, especially if you’re a very busy person. You can easily clean your home with a simple push of its power button. You also don’t need to worry about storing it since it will go back to its dock once it’s done with the cleaning task and automatically powers off.